X's newest safety patroller
by The Bloody Red Lantern
Summary: New kid comes to X read and see


X Middle School, famous for its size and for having one of the most dedicated safety patrol units in the state. It was actually a quiet day when he came; he just slipped into the halls looking a bit thuggish but then again so many did it didn't strike anyone as anything. He had scarlet hair with a few black highlights, amber eyes and tanned skin. He was a normal build but there was a harshness there, something that said he was more than able to look out for himself. He had received the welcome speech yesterday from the principle named Folsom. It made his stomach turn; the woman was so overly sweet it nauseated him. Still he had brushed off the idea of an escort he learned the plans on the weekend when he met the principle. When he had been told he'd be pelted in the auditorium at his introduction he had glared and caught the first ball thrown at him sending it right back, hitting the kid in the eye. No one threw anymore and he had left. Walking quietly he made his way to his new homeroom taking a seat in the left corner near the back which let him see the whole room especially the door and the windows. He relaxed in the chair but stiffened when a large shadow spread over him.

"You're in my chair." He looked up his eyes hidden behind his glasses.

"So?" His voice was flat neutral; he might as well have been talking about the weather.

"So move." The bully glared down while the new kid just kept staring.

"Get out of here I'm not in the mood to play." The bully got pissed and grabbed the kid by the shirt to haul him up.

"What did you say to me you UMPH!" the new kid just punched him in the gut making the bully fall to his knees.

"Someone pick him up." Then he went back to getting his stuff out. The class passed smoothly but once he left he was stopped by two kids in orange sashes.

"Leon King you're under arrest for the assault of another student." Leon turned to the two kids.

"Piss off sash I got classes." He turned around and walked away. One of them grabbed his arm. He figured they were new since this was not how a smart cop would handle a suspect.

"I said you're…" He just shrugged the arm off then back handed him.

"I got classes find me after school." He turned around and walked away. Sure enough the day was clear until the final bell rang there outside his class were two new sashes. One was a black kid. Bald with glasses, he had the look of someone who had done a lot, the other was a thin almost goth girl she looked damn smart. He took one look at them and he knew these were the A game of the place. There was no close enough exits and he had waited to avoid crowds so he can't lose them so he just walked over to them and stuck his hands out. Also the one sash looked familiar but he couldn't place him.

"Not even gonna run?" That voice, he knew that voice but he couldn't find the face.

"What's the point book me so I can go to detention then go home." He followed as the two led him into the office. He guess only a skeleton force was left since the day had ended. There was an idiot photographer, an Italian kid with black hair and an Asian girl.

"Quite the multicultural force you got sash never seen one like this." The two officers just forced him into a seat and pulled out his paper work.

"Assault on a fellow student then assaulting a Safety Patroller well dawg that's gonna get you some major time." The new kid just shrugged then it clicked C his old buddy and one time partner. How he became a sash was beyond Leon though.

"Moron started it with me over a chair made him shut up, and the sash well he grabbed me I don't like being touched."

"So that makes it right?"

"Come on Sash I pegged you for having brains nothing is as simple as right and wrong now how many detentions do I have?" The black officer shrugged not letting on whether he recognized the tween or not.

"Up to Folsom for now go home report here in the morning." The new kid nodded then slipped off the cuffs and got up.

"Got it see ya Sash." He took off.

"Ingrid did you unlock his cuffs?"

"No I thought you did." Fillmore shook his head then it shot up.

"Dawg this just got a whole lot more interesting." The next morning to the surprise of the patrollers they found the new kid, Leon King in the locked patrol office sitting in a chair.

"Man you sashes are slow." Fillmore stepped into the office first.

"Mind telling us how you got in?" Leon just gave him a look and Fillmore nodded.

"You're new here so Folsom decided to go easy, you got five detentions." Leon stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder before leaving, flashing a smirk to the frustrated Safety Patroller.

"Ingrid run a back round check name is Leon King."

Leon's day was boring classes then detention but it got interesting after that. Outside was a tall kid dressed causally waiting for him.

"King right the kid that beat up big Willie?" Leon shrugged making no move to answer. "Yea that's defiantly you, my name is Jason, Jason Grey and I've been asked to offer a proposition, given your back round my boss would like to employ you and your unique set of skills." Leon gave the older teen a long hard look.

"I'm retired now get out of here." The errand boy did not look pleased.

"My boss doesn't take kindly to rejection for your sake you might want to reconsider. Here's my card you have until tomorrow to decide." He handed Leon a plain white card with a number written on it. Leon grimaced he hated organized crime and he especially hated the consiglieres they were almost as annoying as their bosses. The new kid sighed he had hoped transferring here would help hide his past but no such luck. Turning around he walked away. The next day was the same classes, work, idiot people but all that changed during lunch. Seems a bully was trying to take a girl's lunch money and he smacked her. When he pulled back to hit the girl again Leon's hand shot out and caught his wrist.

"You know it's a sign of weakness when a guy hits a dame, shows he ain't man enough to restrain himself or to fight someone who's his equal so he takes it out on someone weaker. Now here's how this is going ta work you're going to apologize give the doll her money back then walk away or I rough you up then give her the money back myself. You're choice bub."

"Screw you." Leon wretched the kid's wrist.

"Wrong choice." Then his fist smashed into the kid's head once and he was out. He patted him down, found his wallet and tossed it to the girl.

"Keep the change sweetheart." He turned around and went outside to the grass one of the few places he found to be peaceful. He was laying on the front lawn even though lunch had ended it was his free period and no one in his homeroom would come look for him, or so he thought. Two shadows appeared over him blocking out the sun and the sky.

"What now sash I don't feel like talking." The two officers sat down.

"Leon King, formally known as the lion, best enforcer ever seen in Trinity Middle School, ran protection rings, loan sharking, theft, black marketeering then finally body guarding. Interesting resume for someone what do you say Fillmore?" The other officer shrugged while Leon kept perfectly still.

"I say it's funny that one of the toughest thugs X has ever seen now merely flows with the crowd. Or that he would actually help someone who was being bullied. Doesn't sound quite right to me." Leon growled to himself causing the fake conversation to end.

"Guy was hitting a dame back in Trinity we knew better. As to the other stuff I'm retired and I'll tell you what I told Jason Grey I ain't starting a career here I just want to go to school and be left alone." Both Patrollers looked at each other surprised.

"You spoke to Jason Grey?" Leon just resumed cloud gazing appearing relaxed all the while ready to fight.

"Yea wanted me to join his boss's gang but I said no I don't want to deal with this stuff I'm retired plain and simple. Now then officers I would like some privacy." Fillmore shook his head as he stood motioning for him to get up as well, Leon just laid there.

"We need to get you in protective custody if Grey's boss wants you he won't stop because of a simple no." Leon laughed.

"I know I'm betting on it but putting me in protective custody will only get your sashes hurt I'm fine on my own. Now then please leave so I can enjoy what's left of my study hall." The two partners stood up but when Ingrid went to say something Fillmore stopped her.

"You want help you know where to find us." He turned around and walked away soon followed by his partner.

"Help from ae sash, yea right might as well kiss the devil," mumbled Leon as he stood up. He grabbed his bag and left in the opposite direction towards the art building. Outside of his class were Grey and two thugs.

"I saw you talking to Officer Fillmore and Third, have a nice conversation?" Leon grimaced, these kids wouldn't have lasted a week in Trinity, they gave him until the end of today to decide, you got to give a potential member a week especially if they're like Leon forcing them only makes them angry.

"I was telling them the Safety Patrol around here needs to get off its ass more often so the school doesn't rely on random acts of kindness to help its students." Grey nodded while his thugs just kept their practiced blank faces up.

"Yes that is true anyway I was wondering if you had made any reconsideration to our offer?" Leon snorted.

"No I haven't I'm retired so please back off."

"So sad, Jules Hank if you would." The two grinned and cracked their knuckles as they moved. Leon sighed then smashed his bag into one's head before spinning and unleashing a powerful kick to the other's knee. Both fell down while Leon just smirked.

"Damn man you need some better muscle otherwise you'll never have a decent rep." He laughed at his own joke and went into class leaving Jason to pick up the bigger kids. The rest of his day went by in a blur and while in detention he received a visit from a certain officer.

"What now sash?" Fillmore stopped then pulled out his badge and took off his belt.

"I ain't here as a safety patroller I'm here as a friend." Leon glared now.

"We stopped being friends a long time ago C back when you ditched me when we had the huge pack of illegal raffle tickets. You moved right after too. So what now come to make up for lost time and you're a sash now man you've fallen low." Fillmore pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry about what happened but I didn't have a choice in the move and you said scatter I didn't realize you had the stuff on you. But that's beside the point the point is I changed got my stuff together because a friend of mine gave me a chance, join up or spend the rest of high school in this box. I chose the badge been doin it ever since." Leon laughed a bitter sound.

"I ain't surprised buddy boy, so now what give me the same deal cause you know what I'll choose."

"Yea you'll choose detention, but you ain't Lion anymore like I ain't C and I know you're trying to put that behind you turning down Grey is proof of that." Leon stopped and sat up his eyes showing his anger.

"I'm retired I don't want to deal with good or bad sashes or crooks anymore I'm done. I turned down Grey cause this hell hole of a school has no idea what a real mob is like and I don't feel like teaching kids how to play criminal. So leave me to my detention Officer then let me get on with my life." Fillmore nodded before picking up his sash and badge.

"Here's my number you need something give me a call a'ight?" Leon barely nodded and Fillmore left. Leon sat in the empty box of a room until he was released then he took off pulling out a skate board from his locker. He flew down the streets to get home all the while the events of the detention replaying in his head. Fillmore had been one of his few friends but the day he ditched him had been the worst betrayal Leon had ever known and it still stung. On the other hand he had been right Leon wasn't a thug any more, he had seen too much in Trinity and now all he wanted was some peace and quiet yet it seemed X had other things in mind for him. When he got home he found a message taped to his door it said _we know where you live and we know your weaknesses don't fight or we'll break you_. The next day found the Safety Patrol looking at one of the few students with the brass to break into their headquarters.

"I need to speak with Fillmore, alone."

"We'll use Vallejo's office since he ain't here yet." Leon just nodded. The others crowded around to hear what was happening but not a word got out. Finally the two ex criminals stepped out.

"I need to clear it with Vallejo but I'll think he'll go for it."

"Fine until then write me a pass to get out of class so I can wait here."

"Anza?"

"Yea yea I'm on it." Leon hung around in the Safety Patrol office the rest of the day. Tehama offered him a mug of cocoa only for him to make a face of disgust as he drank.

"Oh god this is horrible here let me." Leon spat out the cocoa they gave him and made a new patch this time using milk and adding just a hint of chocolate syrup in the mix. When he poured it out again he relished the taste before dishing it out to the other members.

"Wow this is good dude you got to teach me how to make this!" Leon just laughed at the photographer's antics.

"It aint hard to make here I'll show you." After several attempts O'Farrell made the same amazing cocoa. Even Vallejo liked it. After Vallejo had finished his paper work he called in Fillmore and Leon.

"So let me get this straight, Fillmore and you used to be partners before he moved here, and after he left you became the top man in your school's underworld. But then you move here and decide to put it all behind you to get some peace, only Jason Grey and his boss find out about you and now you got the school's worst gangster breathing down your neck. Because of that you want to do a covert sting with the Safety Patrol and bring down Vincent Devil, that about it?"

"Yea that's about it." Vallejo ran a hand over his face.

"Well you picked a hell of a time you know because of your little stunts the schools in an uproar, no one knows where you stand and so everyone is going to be looking for you. You're now in protective custody."

"Hell no! I don't need a baby sitter I just want to catch this punk cause he threatened my family."

"You want to help you go into custody that's the deal." Leon growled and fumed but finally nodded.

"Under one condition give me Anza that boy screams bodyguard." Vallejo nodded.

"Now get to class." Leon just left soon followed by Anza. Leon managed to convince Anza he had enough training to handle himself so to only follow from a safe distance like one being tailed not a guard. Joseph didn't like it but it made sense. By the end of the day Leon's temper was already fraying when he made his way back to the patrol office. One look at it though and his temper was forgotten. There in a chair next to Fillmore looking the worse for wear was his little sister Tammie. She had been the reason he gave up his old life she had gotten hurt and he had been too late to protect her. The day after he had found her hurt he had ripped the school apart looking for the culprits. He had been expelled hence the move to X. Tammie shouldn't be there, he knew that much she was an elementary school student so her being at X meant she had been scared and her school authorities had brought her here.

"Tammie you ok girl?" His sister launched herself into his arms.

"They were so mean tried tae get me tae talk tae them." He tried to console her but soon Karen took her away for a cup of cocoa and some cookies leaving Leon to fume.

"Who did it?"

"Leon you need to calm down…"

"WHO FUCKING DID IT!?" The entire office turned to stare. Nothing had gotten a rise out of Leon, not that bad anyway. Either he gave a low growl or just made a sarcastic comment, losing his temper was a bad sign of what was to come.

"Devil's boys, seems he's not happy with your decision." Leon started pacing taking in the information.

"Location?"

"Unknown though it's rumored to be near the pool old basements from the fifties."

"Numbers."

"About sixty in all for them ten for us."

"Fine then you me Anza and Third." Fillmore shook his head.

"We can't go in like this, we have no evidence."

"He tried to hurt my sister that's evidence enough!"

"Not here not at X we play by the book." Leon stopped and stared.

"Screw the book where's C he would be there with me in a heart beat."

"Listen Lion we can't do this we have no proof if we go in it'll be our buts in the flame."

"AH screw it! Ah'll do it miself." He turned around and stormed off all his composure gone. He raced down the hallways dodging students with an ease of a harden criminal. He found the pool and then found the basement he stormed down the steps making sure his steps sent out loud echoes so they would know he was coming. When he reached the basement several goons had already assembled. The lion just roared as it charged. He left the useless muscle in a bloody heap as he stalked forward. His face had been cut and his ribs hurt like hell but these bastards had threatened his sister they would pay. He didn't play it quiet or smart this was about reaction, reaction is always loud and brutal Leon's style. He kicked open the door to find an office very similar to Marlin Brando's in the _Godfather_ seated behind the large desk was a 7th grader, shorter than most with the look of a natural fighter.

"Ah Leon right on time."

"Ye threatened me sister, big mistake." Vincent stood up, his fine tailored clothing making no sound as he moved.

"Yes I apologize for that bit of unpleasantness but you refused my offer then assaulted my men when they tried to change your mind."

"Ye mean attack me."

"Semantics my point however is this join and all is forgiven refuse and this war won't end until you are crushed into the ground." Leon laughed, long and hard. It had a gravely sound, a sound that comes from a person who knows how to cause pain.

"Please little man ye don't want it tae go there. Now Ah feel better since Ah wrecked half yer guards so Ah'll say this, back off or learn why Ah got the rep Ah had." For emphasis he spun and thunder clapped the guard sneaking up behind him effectively knocking him out. "Two days yeu got two days tae decide tae back off or not, hope ye make the right choice." He left holding his side, but with a satisfied smirk on his face. He stopped by the bathroom and washed the blood off his hands and his face before checking his ribs. They were bruised but not broken and nothing else seemed too bad, he would hurt like hell tomorrow but he could deal with that. Looking at himself in the mirror he frowned then snarled as his hand lashed out hitting a wall. He had promised to be normal not to do anything with crime for his sister's sake if nothing else. He rinsed off his hands and ran them through his hair to dry them. He walked by out shaking his hair out looking like a lion shaking its mane out. Pulling it back into its normal pony tail he headed for the patrol office to get his sister and go home. Inside he found the office was a mess but it went deathly quiet when he entered.

"Oi Tammie we going darling." He didn't mean for the accent to come out he usually only used it when he needed to intimidate someone or he was exhausted/angry.

"Aye big brother Ah'm coming." His red tressed sister skipped over to him.

"Ye gents have a nice day now." He turned around and escorted his little sister out of the school and home. He waited twenty minutes then slipped outside making sure his parents had a firm hold on his sister. He had learned his business from his father. His dad had been a gangster in Ireland but they were forced to move when his sister was born. His father had decided he should go legit try and be worthy of his children. His son became the thug for him. They drifted around until they got to Trinity. After Trinity his father made him promise to give up his life. It hadn't surprised the kid his dad knew however he was shocked his dad never stopped him. His dad said it was in their blood better to get it out now when young. He walked quietly his feet taking him to the park, it was really the only place he knew and considering the time he figured most kids would either still be in school or doing work. He found his spot a tall oak tree over looking the playground his sister likes. Sitting down he counted from ten and sure enough Fillmore and Third appeared.

"What happened dawg?"

"I found the bastard who scared my sister and gave him a choice, back off or lose everything he created for himself."

"Leon you can't take on all of X by yourself even you ain't that good."

"Listen C I won't ask for your or your pretty girlfriend's help. I just need you and the Safety Patrol to leave me alone long enough to settle my affairs then I'll sink back into the wall."

"So what destroy a gang then expect to have no consequences?" Leon laughed at the two.

"Being a sash has made you two soft, the world exists on shades of grey I'm the lesser of two evils. So here's the deal I get Vincent I get all types of evidence, hand it over no questions asked and you can put him away until the end of high school. In return you leave me alone and keep a close eye on my sister."

"Leon you ain't going to help Tammie by acting like this."

"Fillmore you're lucky you change and I can't fault you for it but I'm too set in my ways, protect my sister but leave Vincent to me." Ingrid and Fillmore shared a look and she threw her hands up before walking away. Fillmore took off his sash and belt before sticking a tooth pick in. His posture even changed to that of the old criminal Fillmore not the straight arrow cop.

"So C finally makes his return. Ah've been waiting." Fillmore looked over at the change in accent.

"I ain't going to fault you; you did what you thought was right but you don't need to bring down the whole house do it our way." Leon snorted.

"And how would Ah be doin' that mister Safety Patroller?

"Join up with the Safety Patrol act undercover." Leon laughed again but Fillmore was used to it, hell he had had the same one a year ago.

"A sash me, Ah can honestly say Ah never thought aboot that."

"Well think about it and drop by the office tomorrow with the answer."

"Alright then now off with you go take care of that pretty little thing of a partner." Fillmore gave him a glare that said "leave it alone" he just laughed. Fillmore threw on his sash and he left leaving Leon alone with his thoughts. When night fell Leon got up and headed home, or that was what he was planning on until he saw three teens following him. He just smiled before ducking into an alley. Several minutes crept by as he grabbed a two by four from the alley. As the teens came in he took a quick look, none of them were Safety Patrollers so he attacked. It ended quickly and he just walked out whistling (after making sure to clean up after himself "leave no trace lest you want to get caught" as he dad always says).

He walked back home and spent the night deciding what to do. He was born a criminal he knew he would do it when he was older he had certainly done it when he was younger but this turning to the sash becoming the thing he despised, could he do it? His father told him to do the right thing didn't always mean doing the legal thing, it always came back to a code protect your family and keep it down. Never go out of your way to draw attention and if you do squash it. That was how he worked and now he had a choice become a sash protect his family or do it the way he always did and look over his shoulder. He could live with that but gangs have a long memory and even longer connections what's to stop them from attacking his sister, no seems being a sash is his only way out. The next day came and the Patrol Officers once again found X's newest delinquent sitting in the locked office looking like hell.

"Oh for the love of god! Fillmore get your buddy out of here!" Fillmore walked in and set his desk up before turning to Leon. His hair was falling out of his pony tail, his eyes had heavy bags under them and his skin was a bit pale.

"How much sleep you get last night?"

"Eh not a lot, Ah've decided that the only way to be helping me sister is to be taking you up on that offer of yours." The office went quiet as Fillmore turned towards him.

"You mean?"

"Yea Fillmore Ah mean Ah'll be a damn sash can't really think of a better way to set a good example for Tammie other than that. But if Ah do this Ah get to take in Vincent he belongs to me that fair?"

"That's more than fair, alright dawg lets get you inducted." The two went into Vallejo's office and came back out twenty minutes later but Leon didn't have a sash.

"Damn stupid bastard Ah ought to…"

"Breath man I'll work on Vallejo you just go relax." Leon nodded and took off for class. The rest of the day passed in a blur until he came out of his last class, there stood Jason Grey.

"My boss would like to make a deal please follow me." Wary but curious Leon nodded and followed the other student down to the pool basements where the office had been cleaned up from the last time he came in. Behind his desk with an unreadable face sat Vincent.

"I'm pleased you could join us." Leon snorted as he sat down in the offered chair.

"Ah didn't have much of a choice." Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"You're Irish I would never have guessed." Leon frowned then focused on his opponent.

"Sorry I'm exhausted the accent slips out more easily."

"Quite alright now then about your proposition, we will leave your family alone in return…" Leon held his hand up.

"In return I said I wouldn't destroy you and your boys but now well lets say I don't see eye to eye with the sashes so you give me protection you got me BUT I ain't doing small time you want me I get a damn good position." Vincent nodded not believing his good luck.

"Of course as of now you are my second in command with Jason, Jason?" The mention second stepped forward. "Get our new member the welcome gift."

"Yes sir come along lion."

The weeks that followed saw the highest crime surge in X's history. With Leon back in the game Vincent's gang was able to pull the best heists while always getting away. He started his shilocking business becoming the best paid money lender in the school. And all the while Vincent got rich and lazy. Leon earned his place and the Safety Patrol was helpless to get him. However Fillmore tried one final time to bring his friend back.

"What happened to turning over a new leaf Leon what about your sister?" Leon turned around from his locker when Fillmore cornered him.

"She's protected that's all I care about you heard Vallejo I'll never wear a sash so I went back to what I could do." He walked away leaving Fillmore with nothing. This continued for another week until Vincent's biggest heist to date was planned. They were going to heist all the snack food that was being put into the cafeteria. Because of the size of the heist Vincent was there personally with Leon.

"Well Leon I'll give it to you this has to be the most daring raids ever pulled." Leon laughed his gravely laugh, it still disturbed Vincent a bit.

"Well you need a big one to go down in the books. OI YOU yea you where do you think you going with that crate huh?" Leon stalked off to look over the processing of the contraband. Everything was going smoothly when the doors to the loading dock all burst open

"SAFETY PATROL FREEZE!" Everyone scattered but the raid was too efficient and soon everyone but Leon and Vincent were caught. Vincent was running with Fillmore and Ingrid on his tail.

"Give up Vincent you can't get away from this!"

"Like hell I can't sash!" He kept running only to have a blur hit him.

"X Middle School Safety Patrol you're under arrest for theft, extortion and black marketeering." Vincent was hauled up by the officer as Fillmore and Ingrid got there.

"Not bad for your first arrest."

"Ah try." At the sound of the accent Vincent's head spun around and sure enough there stood Leon holding him as he got the cuffs.

"Leon but how what you…"

"Ah was given a job, undercover work for the Safety Patrol, never under estimate a retired crook we know the ins and outs of every situation. Ah've been working for ye for these weeks to give the Patrollers a good iron clad case against ye, so the next time ye see sunshine it'll be on graduation day. Take 'im away." Ingrid nodded as she hauled the former crime boss to detention as the two former thugs sat down.

"Not bad for your first undercover assignment." Leon shrugged.

"Wasn't that hard just pretended to be me who knows I may even like being a cop though I ain't wearing the sash." Fillmore laughed as he clapped him on his shoulder.

"We'll see about that man." And that was how X got its number one undercover agent. He never wore the sash and belt, claimed he still had some dignity but he became a rock for the safety patrol to use as support. He kept up all the appearances of a thug and even pulled minor crimes to explain why he was often in the patrol office. He had one of the highest arrest records quickly forming a competition (and more importantly a betting pool) with the other officers. Vallejo usually won the pot. His closest friend on the force became Anza, both had similar codes of honor and because of Anza's body guard experience both were able to read each other well. He even helped Anza ask out Tehama. He became a pillar of support for the Safety Patrol even on in high school and when he graduated college he became a real cop with all his friends. And that was how a thug from no where became part of X's elite officers.


End file.
